Some people may reject Reiki, a Japanese stress relief modality, as incompatible with the teachings of their faith tradition. Reiki is not a religion in itself; people of any spiritual stripe practice, teach and experience the benefits of Reiki. But how does that all work together?
I can only tell you how it works for me, a Presbyterian seminary graduate who found a path as an animal communicator and practitioner of Kathleen Prasad’s Let Animals Lead® meditation method. This method is a specialized form of Animal Reiki.
In short: I say my prayers, show up, listen and get out of the way.
Any healing comes from God, whether that happens through me or in spite of me. My job is to create the conditions for healing by listening and holding a peaceful space for the animals and their people.
The Let Animals Lead® Animal Reiki method I practice is meditation-based. It’s hands-off unless the animal wishes contact, and there is no manipulation of energy. I allow it to work however it needs to for the animal’s highest good. God knows that better than I do.
Watch me at work and all you’ll see is a middle-aged woman sitting quietly with a dog or cat, or standing in a barn or pasture. I might have Gregorian chant or other meditation music playing softly on my phone. I’m meditating but not in a trance — gotta move quick if a Percheron is about to step on my foot or goats need to be herded back from the neighbor’s field. (Those are two of many possible interruptions; the idea is to take them in stride and carry on.)
My theological grounding is Protestant Christian, but anything I believe or experience is only a tiny part of God’s big picture. Respecting your beliefs and experience is a core value in my life and practice.
I also know animals are deeply connected to a higher wisdom that sustains all of us. Whether their humans call that higher wisdom God, the universe or nothing in particular, the animals are OK with that. So am I.
By SARA Practitioner Nancy Crowe
Check out Nancy’s website here: https://njcrowe.com/
Other names for universal energy include love. Love heals, makes whole and gives us strength in times of difficulty. All the major religions advocate love and helping one another, particularly through difficult times. As a practicing Christian I have no difficulty with being a Registered Healer and Reiki Master.